Dispenser for sheets



April 18, 1950 E. G. GANTNx-:R ETAL y 2,504,515

E DISPENSER Eon SHEETS Filed Oct. 25, 1948 2 Sheejzs-Sheet 1 @Kaff/ 1 BY az/Q James,

April 18, 1950 G. G ANTNl-:R Erm.

DISPENSER FOR SHEETS 2 Sheets--Shee'cv 2 Filed Oct. 23, 1948 INVENroRs, .Edward Q 622725@ czz/d Mmes:

lllIlllllllll/lllllllllllllllllll/lllIIlllllllllIlllI/g Patented Apr. 18, 1950 DISPENSER FR SHEETS EdwardG. Gantner, Morton Grove, and David James, Chicago, Ill., asslgnors, by mesne assignments, to International Cellucotton Products Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation oi' Delaware Application october 23, 194s, serial No. 56,104

(ci. 31e- 50) 3 claims. l

The invention relates to improvements in dispensers and is more particularly concerned with a novel readily accessible dispensing container for a box of dispensable sheets or facial tissues. Such sheets are generally marketed in a substantially rectangular box having a slotted opening in its top Wall through which sheets are suc cessively pulled out.

The dispenser of the present invention affords convenient means to keep such a box of dispensable sheets in a readily accessible place in an automobile, or on the wall of a room or cabinet. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a novel dispenser.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser which may be mounted readily on a vertical support and which is movable into a position to cover the dispensing opening therein so as to keep the sheets clean and sanitary.

Another object is to provide a novel hinge construction for joining a one-piece container to a supporting member or cover.

Another object is to provide a dispensing container and mounting therefor with novel means to releasably hold the container and mounting in selected relative positions.

Another object is to provide a dispenser of the character described with novel means to retain a box of sheets in the container.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, and are illustrated in accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show an exemplary embodiment and the principles thereof. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same principles may be used, and structural changes may be made' as desired by those skilled in the art, without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the dispenser showing the container in a horizontal position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the dispenser with the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the dispenser.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view on an enlarged scale taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and illustrating the container in vertical position in the dotted lines.

`Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, showing part of the container broken away.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view taken on line 6-6 o1' Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the dispenser includes a substantially rectangular flat supporting member Il and a box-like container I2.. The supporting member II preferably is fabricated from plastics by either of the well-known processes of molding or die-forming, and it includes a flat body portion I3 having end flanges I4 extending substantially at right angles to the body portion. Reinforcing or strengthening ribs I5 and I6 may be' formed as shown and the body portion is provided preferably with a plurality of keyhole slots I1 adapted to receive therethrough suitable screws, not shown, for mounting the supporting member II on a vertical surface. In an automobile, such vertical surface is readily available through utilization of any vertical wall thereof. It is preferred. however, that tile supporting member Il be mounted on the side wall of the automobile in front of the cowl. Such mounting locates the dispenser in a readily accessible position and, at the same time, does not occupy otherwise useful space.

The supporting member I I is provided on its` lower edge with a plurality of longitudinally spaced projections I 8, which are suitably rolled on their ends to provide registering eyelets constituting eomplemental bearing portions of a hinge structure to be described presently.

The box-like dispenser container I2 also preierably is fabricated from plastic material'molded into an integral unit, and it includes a top wall I9, a bottom wall 2|), a connecting front wall `2| and end Walls 22. The back of the container I2 is open so as to permit a box loi.' dispensable sheets to be inserted therein. As mentioned hereinbefore, the box of dispensable sheets is of a kind provided with a slot in its top wall through which sheets may be withdrawn. The container top wall I9 similarly is provided with a slotted opening 23 of such length and width as to correspond substantially to the size of the slotted opening in the box of sheets. Accordingly, when a box of sheets is inserted into the container I2, the slotted opening in the box and the opening 23 in the container top wall are lin registering alignment. As a result, sheets may be withdrawn from the box through the slotted 'opening '23. It is f vpreferred that the slotted opening 23 have an upstanding surrounding flange 2l, for purposes to be described presently.

The container I2 is adapted to be hingedly connected to the supporting member so as to be movable from the horizontal position shown in the rod 23.

portion of the rod 23 being free of any bearing fun unes mA the drawings mtu a substsnualur vertical position (dotted lines in Fig; 4), with its top wall I3 in substantial abutment with the front face of the supporting member II. To this end, the Vrear edge of the top wall I9 is provided with a plurality of bearingelementsf25, each consisting of a substantially rectangular piece of sheet metal or the like, medially bent substantially U-shaped to dispose its end portions 28 on opposite sides of the top wall I9. Rivets l 21, or the like. nrmly secure the bearing elements 25 to said top wall.

ln Figs. 2 and 3, the projecting end -portions 29 of said rod are bent substantially at right angles to the intermediate portion thereof so as to be disposed in alignment with the end walls 22. Said bent end portions 29v are adapted to be secured iirmly tothe end walls 22 so as to strengthen the hinge connection between the supporting member and the container. To this end, the top wall I3 is slotted, as at 3|, inwardly from the.

back edge thereof and adjacent each end wall, to provide an opening through which one wall 32 of a clip 33 may extend.

The clip 33 is somewhat similar to the bearing elements 25 and, as shown best in Fig. 6, said cli-p is fabricated from sheet metal or the like. suitably bent into a substantially U-shaped coniiguration to embrace within its bight portion the end portions 29 of the hinge rod 28 and dispose its other wall 34 on the outside face of the end wall 22. Rivets 35 or the like are provided to ilrmly secure the clips 33 to the respective end walls 22. It should be quite evident at this time that the hinge rod 33 is firmly secured to and provides adequate support for the box-like container I2.

Upon referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that bearing elements 25 are arranged-on each side of the longitudinal center of the container so as to leave the medial portion thereof unsecured to This structure results in the medial elements, thus adapting it to have hingedly mounted thereon a plate 36. The plate 36 is substantially rectangular in shape and is of a length to bridge the open back of the box-like container I2 when in the position shown in Fig. 5. Thefree end of the plate 38` is formed with a pair oi' inwardly turned yieldable ilngers 31 and 3l suitably spaced apart to frictionally receive therebetween the back edge area of the bottom wall 23. This yieldable engagement between the plate 33 andl bottom wall 20 provides adequate support for said bottom wall at its rear area to prevent sagging and, further, aiIords means to prevent unintentional withdrawal of the box of dispensable sheets. Thedetachable connection between the spring lingers 31 and 33 and the bottom wall may be made more secure or foolproof, and the possibility of sagging`minimized, by'v providing a downwardly extending lip '39 on therear edge of the bottom wall 2li, which lip therefrom. When not in use, the container may be swung upwardly into a substantially vertical position, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. When in this position, the container top wall I3 is in substantial abutment with the vertical supporting member I Land, owing to. the presence of the surrounding ilange 24 on said top wall, the slotted opening 23 is substantially sealed to prevent soiling of the tissues.

Means is provided to frictionally retain the container Il in vertical position. As shown, the end ilanges I4 on the supporting member I I are in substantial alignment with the end slots 3'I in the container top wall I3, so that when the container is 'in its vertical position, the end ilanges I4. enter the container through slots 3 I. A detent 4I, suitably formed in each'4 end flange I4, is adapted to have detachable interlocking engagement with a projection 42 in each wall 32 of each dip 33 to thereby frictionally hold the container in its vertical position. Y

When the container is moved into its horizontal position. it is ilrmly supported against movement downwardly beyond such horizontal position by links 43 pivotally secured at 44. one to each end -ilange I 4 of the supporting member. These links are each provided on their free end with an elongated slot 45 through which projects a lip 45 struck out of each clip wail 32. As best shown in Fig. 4, downward movement of the container beyond its horizontal position is prevented by the eoacts with the upwardly turned extremity of the' lip 46 striking the lowermost end of the elongated slot 45. It may be desirable to provide a finger recess 41 in the front wall 2| to facilitate manual engagement of the container for moving it into its various positions.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that applicant has provided a very inexpensive device consisting oi.' two principal parts. the supporting member and the container. parts is inexpensively formed from readily moldable or pressed plastic material, thus obviating the need for costly assembly operations. The provision of metallic bearing elements 25 on the free edge of the top I3 and the presence of the clips 33 on the container side walls materially reinforces the free rear area of the container top wall so as to minimize the possiblity of breakage resulting from excessive pressure being applied downwardly on the box-like container while in use. s

Although an exemplary form of the invention has been disclosed in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the foregoing specification, it should be understood that the structure may be varied in detail without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. v y

We claim:

1. In combination, a' rectangular box-like container having top, bottom and front walls and end walls, and an open back to permit insertion of a box of dispensable sheets, the top vwall having an-opening through which said sheets canbe withdrawn, a rod arranged coextensive'with the bacli: edge of the topwail having its end portions turned at right angles to lie against thetop corners of each end of the container, a plurality of longitudinally spaced bearing elements lon the back edge of the top wall through which said rod extends, clips securing the turned end portions oi' the rod to the end walls. the top wall having slots adjacent the end walls substantially coextensive with the clips; a substantially rectangular supporting plate having complementa! bearing Each of these ascetic elements journalied on said rod, end ilanges on said supporting plate arranged to enter the slots when the supporting plate and container top wall are brought into substantial face-to-face abutment. and means on said supporting plate iianges and on the clips for supporting the container in such abutting relation or substantially at right angles to the supporting plate.

2. In combination, a rectangular box-like container having top, bottom, front and end walls, and an open back to permit insertion of a box of dlspensable sheets, the top wall having an opening through which said sheets can be withdrawn. a rod co-extensive with and disposed along the back edge of the top wall, said rod having end portions turned to extend forwardly of the container along the upper edges oi' each end of the container, clips securing the turned end portions of the rod to the end walls, the top wall having slots adjacent the end walls substantially co-extensive with the clips, a substantially rectangular supporting plate having bearing elements rotatably receiving said rod to thereby pivotaily connect said container to said plate, end flanges on said supporting plate arranged to enter the slots when the supporting plate and container top wall are brought into face-to-face relationship, and means on said supporting plate ilanges and on the clips for releasably holding the container selectively in such face-to-Iace relation and at a predetermined angle to the supporting". plate.

3. In combination. a rectangular box-like container having top, bottom, i'ront walls and end walls, and an open back to permit insertion of a box of dispensable sheets. the top wall having an opening through which said' sheets can be withdrawn, a rod arranged co-extensive with and journaled on the back edge of the top wall, having its end portions turned at right angles to lie against the top corners of each" end o! the container, clips securing the turned end portions of the rod to the end Walls, the top wall having slots adjacent the end walls substantially co-extensive with the clips, a substantially rectangular supporting plate having complemental bearing elements journaled on said rod, and end anges on said supporting plate arranged to enter the slots when the supporting platejjfand container top wall are brought into substantial face-to-face abutment.

EDWARD G. GANTNER. DAVID REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the ille of this patent: i'

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

